'Flexible working saves £150 a month': How your boss can help you get lower fares - and even a seat

London is enduring travel chaos caused by the Olympics and up to one million extra visitors every day.
The closure of road lanes for athletes and VIPs and the traffic jams this is creating mean that public transport is the only option for many.

The squeeze on to overheated trains will get worse over the next couple of weeks as many of the regular 3.5 million commuters switch to rail to get into London, fighting for limited space with sports fans and tourists.

Department for Transport figures show that up to 10.5 per cent more people are crammed into trains at rush hour than the carriages were designed to take, even before the Olympics effect.
And piling on the misery, fare rises of up to 11 per cent are being planned in January to help fund a £9.4billion revamp of the ailing network.

Peak performer: Kimberley Sargent checks emails at home and takes a later train

Rail travellers may not be able to avoid the crowds but by being flexible with ticket choice they may at least get better value, and hopefully a seat.

Workplace consultant Kimberley Sargent, 23, from Battersea, south-west London, keeps down her travel costs by being flexible about the hours she works.

‘Work should be about results rather than being seen in the office,’ she says.
‘I check emails first thing in the morning at home before taking a later train into the office. It enables me to avoid rush hour and peak-time prices. With the Olympics and the congestion this is bringing, it is more important than ever to plan when to travel.

‘I’m lucky to have a flexible employer and part of my job is to encourage other firms to be more flexible too about the hours employees work. A motivated employee who can balance work with family is better value.’

Kimberley takes a train from London to Brighton up to three times a week to visit clients. The peak return is £27.80 if she leaves before 9am, but if she sets off an hour later it is only £15.50. It can bring savings of almost £150 a month that are passed on to her employer – and gives her a more comfortable train ride.

Mike Hewitson, head of policy at consumer group Passenger Focus, says: ‘Buying a ticket does not guarantee a seat, just a trip from A to B. Season ticket holders benefit from getting on to any train they wish – but this means you cannot dictate how many others are on the train. It is worth asking your boss if you can travel at quieter times, and complaining to the operators about overcrowding.’

Peak and non-peak times vary, so ask at your local station about the trip before deciding when to go. Costs can be halved if you travel at less popular times. Those able to buy their tickets up to 12 weeks in advance might get the same seat for as little as a tenth of the full price. Check direct with train operators and private booking sites to find the lowest future ticket prices.

Season tickets may be costly, but they tend to offer better value for those who cannot avoid the morning or evening rush hour. With price rises in the New Year, it will pay to buy any season tickets in late December.

The Department for Transport measures overcrowding in trains as a ‘percentage of passengers in excess of capacity’. Capacity is defined as all seats on a train being full with an additional third of people also standing.
The average excess capacity for travelling in and out of London at rush hour is 3.2 per cent, up from three per cent in 2010.

First Great Western, which runs trains from London Paddington to the South West and South Wales, has the worst ‘excess capacity’ of 10.5 per cent.

The next worst city for congestion is Birmingham with a peak of 3.1 per cent followed by Manchester at 2.5 per cent.
Up to a quarter of rush-hour commuters stand in spaces of 0.25 square metres (2.7sq ft) – almost half the 0.45sq m minimum that the EU says is acceptable for transporting livestock.

The charity Campaign for Better Transport says the high price of travelling on increasingly overcrowded trains is reflected in poor customer satisfaction levels. Only 29 per cent of commuters say they are satisfied with the service from their rail company.

A spokesman for the Association of Train Operating Companies says: ‘Faster trains and better services are attracting record numbers of people to the railways.
‘The flip side is overcrowding. The Government has committed to invest in 2,700 new carriages by 2019.’

How to beat those railway blues

Talk to the boss

Flexible working can
save the company money and work can be done at home or on railway
journeys with a seat and WiFi.

Plan ahead

The cheapest advance fares are released 12 weeks before
travel and are up to ten times cheaper than booking on the day. Check
with your train operator direct or use the cheapest fare finder tool on
National Rail Enquiries, on 0845 748 4950, or at nationalrail.co.uk.

Operators offer special deals

Check booking sites such as Red Spotted
Hanky at redspottedhanky.com; The Train Line on 0871 244 1545 or
thetrainline.com; and Travel Supermarket at travelsupermarket.com.

Travel off-peak

Travelling off-peak can cut at least a third off the standard return
fare. After midday a super-off-peak might cut travel costs in half.
Check return time restrictions when buying tickets.

Get a discount

Passengers aged 16 to 25 or 60 and older can buy a
railcard for £28 a year to get a third off fares, usually outside peak
times.

Get a season ticket

A season ticket is expensive but if you commute at peak times it is
better value. Buy before January when price rises are expected.